This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
If Prop. 5 became law, it would:
1) Increase the use of debt to manage city essential services.
2) Reduce efficiency and increase operational and interest costs for residents.
3) Increase property taxes for homeowners and rent payments for renters.
4) Jeopardize Kaysville's standing of having the lowest combined property tax rate and power rates in Davis County, and one of the lowest in the state.
5) Create volatility in power rates because the working capital of the power fund will be inadequate.
6) Place unnecessary and counterproductive restrictions on the ability of the City Council and professional employees to efficiently manage operations and the budget.
7) Create a municipal code in conflict with state law, that will need to be changed.
If the supporters of Prop. 5 had proposed an initiative that dealt with best practices for transparency, the measure would have had the near unanimous support of all Kaysville voters, including myself.
Instead they overreached and overreacted. Prop. 5 would increase costs for residents and do nothing to improve transparency.
Vote no on Prop. 5!
Jake W. Garn, CPA
Kaysville